Road of Good Intentions
by lovablegeek
Summary: Collins has a talk with Benny between Christmas Eve and New Year's. [One shot]


**A/N:** Uh. I started this as a response to a challenge prompt on speedrent, but I was too slow to get it entered. Did finish it, though, a fact I am very proud of, and I managed to make it fit one of my fanfic100 prompts, so it's all good.

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"I'm just curious… in what universe was this _ever_ an intelligent way to deal with Mark and Roger?"

Benny looked over at Collins and shot him a glare before shoving his hands deep in his pockets and glancing across the street to avoid meeting his friend's eyes. Collins kept pace with him as he walked, just waiting for an answer, and finally Benny snapped, "Shut up."

Collins simply smiled faintly and shook his head. "I'm just saying, you lived with them for years. You ought to know better than trying to manipulate them with threats and extortion, never mind trying to control Maureen through them. I just have to wonder what you were thinking."

"Threats and extortion?" Benny muttered, shaking his head. "I wasn't _threatening_ them." He paused and looked back to Collins, studying his face to try and discern what he was getting at. Collins knew how to get under his skin better than anyone in the world—God knew he'd been doing it long enough to know just how to go about it. Benny still couldn't see anything in Collins' expression to tell him what had prompted this conversation. He sighed and turned away again.

"I tried to help them, you know." Of course he knew—Collins had been there when he made the offer. "It's not my fault they wouldn't listen. If they'd just done what I asked them to…"

He trailed off, and Collins finished the sentence for him. "Then they wouldn't be Mark and Roger." Not exactly what Benny had _meant_ to say, but close enough. He was right, though—all too often those two abandoned all common sense and practicality just for some ill-conceived notion of defiance they got into their heads. Benny almost missed being able to join them in that. After a moment, Collins added in the calmly reproving tone Benny hadn't heard from him for some time, "And you _did_ make them a promise."

Benny stopped walking and turned to face Collins. "I _know_ that," he said acidly. "But Alison's father—"

"Does not own you." Collins' tone became just a bit harder as he said that, not particularly angry or even upset, just enforcing his point. Benny hated him for it.

"Tom," Benny said with a sigh, "I do what he tells me to, he gives me the money for my studio. I can't get around it, and you know that. Having the studio there might just help Mark and Roger too. It'd help clean up the whole neighborhood. If they'd just realize that…"

Collins leaned against the brick wall of the building they had stopped next to, eyeing Benny levelly. "Look, all I'm asking is that you do what's right—I know you know what that is, and I know you want to. Screw your father-in-law and do your friends a favor."

Benny sneered and looked down at his feet, scuffing the toe of one shoe against the sidewalk. "Friends? They hate me."

Silence for a moment then, and Benny almost thought he'd found something Collins _didn't_ have a response to, for once. He glanced up to meet his friend's eyes, and Collins still didn't speak for a while. When he did, it was only slowly, as if he were choosing his words carefully. "They don't hate you. They just haven't figured out that they can be mad at you and still be your friend."

That kept Benny quiet for a minute as he considered what Collins had said. Carefully, he asked, "Are you mad at me too?"

Collins smirked slightly and put his hand on Benny's shoulder, leaning in earnestly. "Benny. Don't be silly. Of _course_ I'm mad at you." His smirk widened into a grin. "I think you're being an idiot, and I think you need to realize that and stop it… but you're still my best friend."

Benny laughed at that despite himself, and nodded. "I'll take that into account." He paused. "I should get home soon. I'll… I'll see you later, man."

"See you." As Benny started to walk away, Collins called after him, "Hey Benny?"

Benny stopped and half turned to look back at him. "Yeah?"

"You know that padlock's not going to keep them out for long?"

Benny allowed himself a small smile. "I know. If it did… they wouldn't be Mark and Roger."


End file.
